Free Skip Rock Shallows by Jan Watson Page B

are, sitting at my kitchen table, bold as brass.”
    “I don’t know about the angel part,” Lilly said with a laugh, “but I do know God meets our needs if we but ask. ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’ That’s from James, I think.”
    Lynn clapped her hands. “That’s my favorite Scripture. I can’t believe you just said that! See, you are an angel.”
    “Tell me about your deliveries, Lynn. Do you have difficulty?”
    Lynn tipped the pitcher and poured more sumac-ade into the cup over Lilly’s protestations. Now she would have to drink it. The pink tea was all Lynn had to share.
    Lynn reached across the table and rubbed the crown of her daughter’s head. The little girl thumped her head backward into Lilly’s chest. There will be a bruise under my collarbone tomorrow, Lilly thought.
    “You can see this one’s got a big head,” Lynn said. “Where Cleve was easy as pie, Dolly nearly kilt me.”
    “How close to delivery are you?” Lilly asked although she could tell it wouldn’t be long.
    “Three weeks, tops. She’s already dropped.”
    “You know it’s a girl?”
    “Yeah, Hiram did the yarn and needle test. You know, the one where you hang a darning needle from a length of yarn over a woman? If it swings it’s a boy, but if it spins it’s a girl? Well, mine spun like a top. I’ve never known that test to fail.”
    “Hmm,” Lilly said. Another superstitious old wives’ tale. “Would you like me to check the baby’s presentation?”
    “Please,” Lynn said. She went to the door and closed it. She cleared the table and spread a tattered sheet before she laid herself flat upon its surface, using another sheet for a drape.
    The toddler played at Lilly’s feet as she palpated the huge mound of Lynn’s uterus. Unrolling her fabric tape measure, she noted the size from top to bottom and from side to side. Indeed the baby had already dropped. “I’m guessing you’re making frequent trips to the outhouse,” Lilly said.
    “Funny how you forget about all them aggravations once the baby’s born,” Lynn said.
    “As they say, if you remembered all of that, you wouldn’t have but one.”
    “Ain’t it the truth?”
    Lilly helped Lynn up and off the table. “I think you’re doing well. I don’t anticipate any problems with your delivery, but you know there are no guarantees. Things can change from one minute to the next.” Lilly folded the drape into neat squares. “This is your third, so you’ll likely go fast.”
    “I’d be glad for that,” Lynn said, resetting her table.
    “That is understandable, but a fast birth can be dangerous for both mother and baby. Do you have anyone who could come to help you for a while?”
    “I could maybe send for my sister.”
    “That would be good. In the meantime, what can I do to help?”
    “You already answered my prayer. I can’t ask for more than that.”
    When Lilly left the family, she had a quart jar of sumac-ade in her linen bag and a promise from Hiram to come fetch her when Lynn was in early labor. She also took away important lessons: Look for the easiest diagnosis first—it might be as simple as sumac juice!—and don’t assume a person can read. Actually, don’t assume anything.

Chapter 9
    Tern Still leaned in close to the wavy mirror in his rented room and applied a styptic pencil to the scrape on his chin. It stung like fire, but the wound clotted. He ran his thumb over the blade of his straight razor. Even though he’d stropped it good, there was the nick. He’d have to add a whetstone to his shopping list. That was the problem with moving around all the time. You never had everything you needed in one place. Something was always left behind.
    He opened the top dresser drawer and fitted a key into the lock of a smallish wooden traveling case. He removed his gun and leather holster to get at a book that rested on the bottom of the case. Sliding the slim volume into a pocket of the black frock